Reunion
by VestaraJade
Summary: Ben and Vestara get back together. Set three months after Apocalypse.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Trying to get Ben and Vestara back together.**

**Disclaimer: It's not mine. It's George Lucas's**

Vestara Khai knelt in the shifting sands on the Sith world of Korriban. It had been three months since she had last known happiness, three months since she had last laughed, and three months since she had last seen Ben Skywalker. She never thought she would miss him this much.

_These are not thoughts for a Sith, Lady Khai._

She sighed, Ship was right. As usual.

_Thank you Ship. We can go now._

She slowly stood up, sore from kneeling for so long. How long had it even been? She didn't know. She didn't really care either.

_I'm not cut out to be a Sith. _She thought. _Not without Ben by my side._

_So bring him to your side._

"I've already tried!" She yelled at the Sith training vessel. "He can't be turned!"

_Maybe you should try again. He's bound to be missing you as much as you're missing him. Arrange to meet with him somewhere. Alone._

_It can't hurt to try. _She sighed. _Unless he tried to kill me for almost attacking his family._

_Good._

Ship extended his boarding ramp from his orange body.

_Come Lady Khai, Let us win Ben Skywalker over to the true side of the Force._

Vestara strode up the boarding ramp filled with a new resolve.

_He **will** be mine._

~O~

Ben Skywalker sat on his bunk in the Jedi acadamy on Ossus. He couldn't help feeling like a failure. Why hadn't he been able to bring Vestara into the Light? He had brought Tahiri back, so why not Vestara?

He sighed. _Probably because Tahiri wasn't raised a Sith._

His fingers traced the familiar grooves in his lightsaber as he thought. Suddenly his door whooshed open. Starteled, he looked up, to see his dad, with a kind smile on his face, standing above him.

"Do you want to talk about it yet?"

Ben kept his gaze trained on his lightsaber and said, "Not really."

Luke knew his son had been hurt badly by the Sith girl, but he couldn't allow Ben to stay inside moping all day. Brooding would only bring dark side emotions.

"I've got a mission for you, Ben."

Ben looked up, "For me?" he asked incredulously.

"That's what I said."

"Uh, Okay. What do you need me to do?"

"There's have been reports of a break in to the Chief of State's office. Intellegance hasn't been able to find anything, so Wynn asked us to send a Jedi."

"Why me?"

"You have experiance breakig into the Chief of State's office."

"I thought he killed mom!"

"I'm not blaming you, Ben. You asked why."

"When do I leave?"

"As soon as possible."

"I'll get packed."

Luke started to walk out, then turned and asked, "Are you taking anyone with you?"

"I wasn't going to, why?"

"Just wondering." Luke smiled at him, and left.

Ben ran his fingers through his hair, and sighing yet again, stood.

_Better get packed._

**A/N: what do you think? Hate it? Love it? Opinions please!**

**VestaraJade**


	2. Chapter 2

Ben Skywalker walked into the building that contained the Chief of State's office. It had been a hard trip. With nothing else to distract him, he had spent the travel time mainly thinking about Vestara. He walked into a turbolift and pushed the floor number he wanted. He was so distracted he didn't even notice he wasn't alone until the Twi'lek next to him asked,

"Are you the Jedi Chief of State Dorvan asked for?"

"Yes. I'm Ben Skywalker. And you are...?"

"Desha Lor. I'm the Chief of State's aide."

"Can you tell me what happened?"

The twi'lek suddenly looked worried. "I think it'd be best if the Chief of State told you."

The turbolift stopped and the door slid open. Ben followed Desha down the long hall the the waiting room.

"I'm sure he'll want to see you immediately. I'll tell him you're here." With that she walked briskly into the office. Ben looked around while he waited. It was a nice enough room. The receptionist sat behind a curved desk. A few beings sat waiting on the couches that encircled the room. A fountain provided a soothing background. There were few windows, and none looked like they opened. Ben was just walking over to inspect them, when Desha poked her head out of the office and said,

"Come in Jedi Skywalker."

Ignoring the scowls and glares from the beings who had been waiting for an appointment, he strode into the office. When he entered Dorvan looked up from his desk with a tight smile, "Jedi Skywalker, welcome! So glad you could come."

"Glad I could be of assistance, Chief of State Dorvan. Could you tell me what happened?"

"Of course. I had just come back from a Senate meeting, when I noticed that the datapads on my desk had been moved. I looked through them, and I found a most important one missing. I called intelligence and, as I'm sure you know, they couldn't find anything suggesting an intruder. The video cams were not working well at the time and all we have on those is static. When we went to investigate those, they hadn't even been cut. So, we are at a loss as to where my datapad has gone."

_Must've been a Force-user if they disrupted the cams without cutting them_. Ben thought. _But who? A sith that we didn't kill during the battle? A rogue Jedi we don't know about? I don't know. _

"Chief of State Dorvan? Could I inspect the office?"

"Of course, Jedi skywalker. Call us when you're done."

And with that they left the office, and Ben was alone again. He looked around, taking in the desk, where the datapads still lay. He inspected the windows, again, they were not able to be opened.

_What if he needs to leave a different way? He couldn't exit through the windows, so how? Unless there's a secret passageway. _

He felt the walls, knocking on them until he came to a spot that sounded slightly different. He inspected the wall closely and found hairline seams in the shape of a door. He looked around for ways to open it, and seeing nothing, decided he would ask the Dorvan about it when he came back. Continuing his scrutiny of the room, he walked over to the desk, and started looking around for traces. He wasn't expecting to find anything, but he checked just in case. After sorting through the datapads, and finding nothing of use, he opened the door and said, "I'm done."

The Chief of State and his aide walked back in. "Well?" asked Wynn.

"How do you get into the passageway over there?"

"Very impressive Jedi Skywalker! Intelligence didn't find it until I told them. Let me open it."

He walked over to the desk, pulled open a drawer and pushed a couple of buttons.

*Voice activation required*

"Wynn Dorvan, Chief of State of the GA."

*Voice analysis confirmed*

The door slid open to reveal a long low tunnel that stretched on into the darkness.

"Where does it lead?" Asked Ben.

"Lower levels of the Imperial Palace."

"Can I check it out?"

"By all means, but intel didn't find anything."

"They didn't find the passage either."

"Good point. When you're done, Desha will show you to your room so you can sleep. You must be very tired."

"I slept a bit on the trip, but I could use a sanisteam. "

"Of course."

Ben ducked down into the tunnel, followed by Desha. After walking for ten minutes they came to a turbolift. He stopped as he realized his danger sense was prickling. It didn't feel urgent, but he proceeded in caution anyway.

"Does this stop on more than one floor?" He asked

"No, it was installed solely for the purpose of escape."

Ben snorted, "Well what if your enemies knew where it ended? They could be waiting for you."

"I hadn't considered that. I'll bring it up with the Chief of State."

Ben grunted as he inspected the turbolift. It seemed fairly standard, but something still felt wrong.

"Are we going to continue?" Desha queried.

"Something doesn't feel right."

He ran his hands around the inside of the turbolift. Just as he was about to admit he was wrong, his danger sense tickled his spine.

"Get Down!" He shouted, hurling himself out of the turbolift on top of Desha. Behind him, the turbolift exploded in a flash of light.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry this is so short. The next one should be longer. And sorry for the long wait.**

**Disclaimer: It's not mine (Surprise!)**

Vestara Khai sat inside ship as it traveled at lightspeed. His strange orange body hummed beneath her as they traveled.

_Are you sure he'll come? _Asked Ship.

_Of course. _

_But there is no guarantee Skywalker will send his son. _

_He'll send Ben._

_How can you be sure?_

_I know him. Besides, even if he sends another, the encryption is one only Ben can decode. So they'll take it back to the Jedi, and it will go to him anyway._

_If you didn't kill them with the bomb you planted in the turbolift. _

_Luke Skywalker, if he didn't send Ben, would at least send an experienced Jedi, so as not to slight Dorvan. And an experienced Jedi wouldn't be killed by that blast. They'd be out of the way long before it blew._

_You are awfully self-assured in your ability._

_No, I just know them. you don't._

_I know Ben Skywalker very well. You forget he rescued me from Ziost._

_True. But this is beside the point. He **will **be there._

**AN: Again, sorry its so short, and please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thanks to all who have reviewed! And thanks to my beta!**

**Disclaimer: I'm really getting sick of saying this, so remember. It's. NOT. Mine. (Much as I wish it was.**

Ben slowly sat up, his ears ringing from the blast that had gone off in the turbolift. He rolled off off Desha and asked, "Are you all right?"

She gingerly rubbed her Lekku, Ben winced. He had forgotten how sensitive they were. His Jedi robes must have hurt her.

Desha gave him a pained smile. "Much better than I would have been. And you?"

Ben looked over his shoulder at his Scorched robes and shrugged, "I'll live."

Desha stood and tried to straighten out her suit. "Ready to call it a day?"

"I'm just gonna inspect the lift, if you don't mind."

She waved her hand, "Not at all. Carry on."

Ben ducked inside the turbolift, wary of any more traps and saw that a panel on the wall had been blown away. He reached inside and pulled out a blastproof container. It was just the right size to hold a datapad, and on the bottom was a tiny screen with type that said,

*Fingerprint required*

On impulse, Ben stuck his thumb against the screen and was shocked when the box clicked open. Inside lay a datapad. He turned and found Desha right behind him. "Is this it?" He asked, handing it to her.

"Yes, but how did you open it?"

"I'd like to know that myself. But right now, we'd better go give this to your boss."

~O~

Wynn Dorvan looked up as they entered. Taking in Desha's rumpled outfit and the scorch marks on Ben's robes, he calmly asked, "What happened?"

"Well, we found the datapad." Ben replied.

"And a thermal detonator from the looks of it." The Chief said with a wry smile.

"There were some complications, sir."

Wynn gestured to a chair. "Do tell."

~O~

After his lengthy meeting with the Chief of State, and a sanisteam, Ben sat on the balcony in his quarters looking out over Coruscant and thinking.

_Why had ...whoever it was stolen the datapad if they weren't going to use it? Why had they planted the bomb if they wanted it to be found? And why did my fingerprint unlock the box? Perhaps it was rendered faulty by the blast. Maybe it was designed to open for the first person who touched it. _He sighed_. I won't be able to work in the morning if I don't get some sleep._

So he jumped down from the railing and went to bed.

~O~

Ben woke feeling refreshed. It was the first night since the battle with Abeloth that he had gotten a full night's sleep, one without any dreams._ Huh, maybe Dad was right. I need to do something to keep my mind off my other problems. _

After taking another sanisteam and eating breakfast, he was just starting to do some exercises, when his comlink chimed.

"Ben here."

"Ben, this is Desha. Chief of State Dorvan requires your presence as soon as possible. We have a problem."

"I'm on my way."

Biting back a curse, he grabbed his and utility belt, buckling it on as he ran.

When he reached the reception area, he was relieved to so there were no signs of an emergency. the bothan manning the desk gestured that he could go in.

The doors slid open to reveal the Chief of State and his aide bending over his desk. When he entered they straightened, and Dorvan said, "Jedi, Skywalker, thank you for coming so quickly. I trust you slept well."

Ben figured if they were starting with pleasantries, there was no immediate cause for alarm, so he relaxed slightly and answered, "Yes sir."

Dorvan smiled. "Very good."

"What's the matter?"

"Well, we seem to have run into a problem with the datapad. Everything seems to be in order, but there is a message on it, encrypted in a code that no one can figure out. I thought that perhaps as you were able to unlock the container it was in, you might be able to decipher it."

Ben had a sinking feeling he knew what it the code was. "Could I see it?"

"Well not the datapad itself, as it is highly classified, but we copied the message onto a piece of flimsy for you."

Desha handed him the copy. Ben looked down at it guessing what he would see, but hoping not to see it anyway. Sure enough, it was the code that he had created.

"Well, Chief Dorvan sir, I've got good news and bad news."

"Bad first."

"All right. you're datapad was stolen by a Sith."

Dorvan paled. "And the good news?"

"Well, she isn't after you, or your datapad."

"But then-"

"She's after me."

There was silence for a few seconds. Finally Dorvan folded his hands asked, "How do you deduce this?"

"There's only two people in the the Galaxy who know this code. one is me, and the other is Vestara Khai."

"The Sith who tried to kill you, your Aunt, your Uncle, and your cousin?"

"The very same."

"Do you know what says?"

"I'll need to use the encryption key on my 'pad, but then, yes, I'll know."

Wynn stood and shook his hand. "Thank you for your help Jedi Skywalker, stay as long as you need, and if you need anything, ask Desha. She'll see to it you are properly outfitted for your journey home."

"Thanks."

~O~

Ben sat in his quarters looking with mixed feelings at the datapad in his hand. Feelings that he had buried the past few days had now resurfaced. He reread the message Vestara had left for him in the code they had devised during long hyperspace jumps.

Ben,

We need to talk,

Meet me on Ziost in seven days GST.

I'll come alone.

Ves.

**A/N: Sorry about the dialogue. I'm not very good at it.**


	5. Chapter 5

1 Week Later

Ziost

Vestara Khai sat on Ship's boarding ramp gazing up at the sky.

_I wonder if he'll come, _ she thought to herself. I_ was so positive he would, but now I'm not so sure._

_He's probably furious at me. _She sighed._ No, because that would lead to the dark side, and Ben would never want that. He's probably disappointed at himself for not turning me to the "Light side of the Force_".

She stood stretching her legs. Suddenly she grew angry._ Kriffing Jedi! Why are they so much better than I am? Why couldn't Ben have been born a Sith? It's so unfair! _Too late she realized that she hadn't been shielding her emotions very well.

_Life is not meant to be fair Lady Khai, _thought Ship, echoing the phrase her father and Lady Rhea had driven into her.

But where had it gotten them? Where had being a Sith gotten them? Chopped up by a Jedi in the Maw, and slain by her. She bitterly regretted having killed her father now that she realized she couldn't be a Jedi. If only she had stayed her hand, he could have made her realize just how wrong she was. Then she would've been saved all this heart-break.

_Regrets? _asked Ship.

_No! maybe. Alright you win! This was stupid! Ben wants nothing to do with me. _

_Maybe. Or maybe he never got your message. _

Vestara considered this. It was possible. But she had been so sure! Planned everything so well!

Now it seemed her planning had failed her.

She slumped down on the ramp and blew out her breath in frustration. He wasn't coming and she knew it.

~O~

Ben Skywalker sat in the cockpit of his X-Wing sleeping. He was jolted awake by the beeping of the proximity alarm. Five minutes until he had to exit hyperspace. It figured that now he was having second thoughts.

_What if she just asked me here to kill me? Or try to turn me again. I at least should've told someone where I was going. Of course, they probably would've forbidden me, but that way if she does kill me, someone would know where I was and be able to bring my body back for a proper Jedi burial. _He chuckled. _I've gotten a bit morbid now. I really should stop letting my thoughts wander. _

The alarm beeped again. He straightened in his seat and prepared for reversion to real-space.

One minute._ Hopefully she won't blast me out of the skies as soon as I get there. But, if she said she wanted to talk, she probably does. At least before she kills me. _Anger at her betrayal boiled up within him again. He quickly pushed the emotions down and took a calming breath. Putting his hand on the lever, he started to recite the Jedi Code to himself.

_There is no emotion, there is peace._

_There is no ignorance, there is knowledge._

_There is no passion, there is serenity_

_There is no death, there is only the Force._

Five seconds. He opened his eyes and counted down.

He pulled the lever and suddenly the space around him went from black to starlines, finally becoming little pinpricks of light all around him.

He found himself looking at the barren landscape of the planet Ziost. Grimly he scanned the planet for life forms, and finding what he was looking for, began his descent.

~O~

Vestara awoke to the sound of a ship entering the atmosphere. She quickly sat up and realized she had fallen asleep on Ship's ramp. Standing slowly she stretched and winced at how sore she was.

Remembering what had woken her, she eagerly looked up into the sky, and saw the glow of a ship.

_He's coming!_

_Why the excitement? Prepare yourself for the task at hand. _Reprimanded Ship.

_Of course._

But inside, Vestara couldn't keep the happiness she felt at the prospect of seeing Ben hidden.

She quickly readied herself and waited as the ship, which she now identified as an X-Wing, descended.

~O~

Ben could make out the shape of Ship. The orange sphere sat near a hill that rose out of the rugged landscape of the planet. As he drew closer he could make out Vestara standing next to it. His heart started beating faster and he felt himself getting excited.

_Stop it! _He told himself. _There's no reason to get excited. She'll probably just try to convince me that the Dark side is the true way of the Force._ He grimaced and prepared to touch down.

~O~

Vestara watched expressionlessly as the X-Wing touched down gently. The canopy clicked and slowly lifted. Ben jumped out with the help of the Force. He quickly pulled off his helmet, revealing his messy orange hair. He tossed it back into his ship and slowly approached. When he was about ten feet away, she closed the distance and reached out her arms to hug him. Quickly he grabbed her arms and inspected them.

"Huh. No shikkars hidden up your sleeve?"

Vestara was hurt. "You think I'd try to kill you?"

"I wouldn't put it past you. After all you've tried it before."

"True, but that's the past. Let's put that behind us."

"Yep. so now what? You tell me you've seen the error of your ways, decided to become a Jedi, and then stab me in the back again?"

His blue eyes were like ice.

"Ben," she started,

"What? You brought me here to talk so that's what we're gonna do. Lovely weather isn't it?" He said sarcastically."

"Not really. but that's not what I wanted to talk about."

He let out an exasperated sigh. "Then what?"

"I was wondering if you were still mad at me. I guess that question is answered now."

"Gee, why would I ever be mad at you?" Again with sarcasm.

"I don't know."

He looked at her incredulously. "Are you serious?"

~O~

She gazed up at him with her lovely brown eyes, and said, "Yes."

_Is she serious? _Ben thought._ I can't tell if she's lying. It doesn't seem like it, but then again, she's very good at lying._

"So you don't think trying to kill Aunt Leia, Uncle Han, and Allana made me mad at all?"

"I figured you didn't get mad. After all, that's not the 'Jedi way' is it?"

"Not true, As you can sense, I'm getting rather mad right now."

She turned away. "Never mind. This was stupid. You obviously don't want to listen to me."

_Idiot!_ He mentally cursed. _You're never going to save her unless you're nice to her._

There was a pause, then Ben offered, "I'm sorry. You're right. You went to the great trouble of trying to get me here, in a very roundabout way, and I'm not listening. Continue."

"It's about the Sith and the Jedi."

"Why am I not surprised." It wasn't a question.

"Well, I don't see-"

She stopped abruptly and stood staring into the distance.

"Ves? Are you alright?"

She didn't answer.

"Ves?"


	6. Chapter 6

Vestara was shocked. She had just been talking to Ben, trying to make him understand, when something changed. She was pulled away from her body and now she was somewhere black.

_Did I die? _She wondered._ Is this what it feels like to be dead? But if I did die, how?_

Just as she was plotting out possible ways he could've killed her, suddenly a red glow tinged to the black around her. Through it she saw Ben. Relieved that she did not seem to be dead, she rushed towards him, only to find she couldn't move. Ben drew closer, and when he was almost upon her, she realized it wasn't Ben at all.

This person had reddish hair like Ben, but was dressed in black robes like the Sith and when she met his eyes, she saw they were yellow. They glared into her like daggers. Slowly, he raised his hand.

Force lightning crackled from his fingertips. It hit Vestara with a wave of pain. It sparked and crackled on her skin. Dimly she was aware of the Not-Ben laughing. Then a voice rang through her pain.

"Is this what you want?" It asked.

Barely able to breathe Vestara watched with shock as the Not-Ben changed into a series of other beings. Her father, scowling as he tortured her, Lady Rhea, a disappointed look on her face, Her mother, Ahri Raas, a man with Brown eyes and hair, who looked a lot like Jaina, a woman more machine than human, A cowled old man with a wheezy laugh, and a figure she recognized as the legendary Darth Vader, Ben's grandfather. Lastly the image flicked back to Ben, and the voice spoke again.

_This is what the Sith are. Are you one of them or will you become a serve the Light Side of the Force?_

The lightning stopped and Vestara collapsed.

~O~

Ben stood staring at Vestara, who was still staring off into space.

_What happened to her?_ He asked Ship

_If I knew that, Skywalker, I would tell you._ Ship replied testily.

_But is she dead?_

_I know not! And your questions will not help. _

_Did she ask me here just so I could see her die?_

There was silence for a long while, and then, _No_

_Then why?_

Again silence. Ben sighed and looked at her again. She still hadn't stirred.

_Well, if she doesn't wake up soon, I'm calling for help._

_You promised you would bring no one with you._

_No I didn't. And anyway-_

But whatever he was about to say was cut off as Vestara collapsed into his arms.

"Oof!"

_She is awake? _Ship asked hopefully.

_She's coming around._

Sure enough Vestara was stirring in Ben's arms.

"Ves? What happened?"

She stood up shakily and rubbed her eyes. "I- I think I had a vision."

"What about?"

She glanced at Ship quickly and mumbled, "Have anything to eat?"

He nodded and sitting her down, raced to his X-Wing and grabbed a ration bar.

Returning, he found her shivering, so sat down and put his arm around her to keep her warm

"Want to talk about it?" He asked

"In a bit. Ship?"

_Yes?_

"Could you leave us alone for a little bit?"

_Of course_

Abruptly, he rose off the ground and soared away. Once he had gone a suitable distance, Vestara turned to Ben, and he saw she was crying.

"Ves, are you okay?"

"No. I'm not okay. I was wrong."

"About what?"

"Everything! Everything I grew up thinking was right is wrong! My entire world feels like it's been flipped upside down."

And with that, she broke down sobbing into Ben's shoulder. He absently patted her back, his mind racing.

_Could she really have seen the truth? Most likely not. remember, she's an expert manipulator._

_But still, maybe she did have a vision, and maybe, just maybe, she saw the errors of her ways. If she did, then, if I say the right things, I can bring her into the Light. _

"Ves?" He asked carefully, "What did you see?"

She sighed and looked up at him, "Ben, The only reason I brought you here was to try to turn you."

"I figured as much. But you changed your mind?"

"I saw you."

He was silent.

"As a Sith."

_Ah. That explains it. I probably don't look like very nice as a Sith._

"Anything else?"

"Yes."

And so, she told him what she had seen, from beginning to end.

When she was done, they were silent for a while. Then Ben said, "I believe you."

"You do? You don't just think I'm trying to turn you?"

"At first, but not anymore. And Vestara?"

"Yes."

"I think you're going to be a great Jedi."

"Thank you."

~O~

Vestara found she was happy, for the first time in three months she actually felt like life was worth living. They sat together in the growing dark, just content to be quiet for a while. Through the dusk, Vestara saw A shape flying towards them, and as it approached, she groaned.

"Ben?"

"I see it."

He jumped to his feet and grabbed his lightsaber off his belt. It was Ship. And Vestara figured it wasn't going to be happy.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Not mine. **

Ship was not happy. That much was obvious. Vestara felt it's rage pouring into the Force, and had to use all her willpower to avoid cowering behind a rock. She stood next to Ben, her hair whipping in the powerful wind. Ship stopped in front of them and thundered,

_What have you done?_

The force of his mental tirade was enough to rock Vestara back on her heels. Ben stepped in front of her.

_She realized the truth, that's all._ He shot back.

_There is no truth in what you say! Only lies!_

_Well that's rich, coming from a Sith training sphere._

Ship seemed to consider this than said abruptly_. It is of no consequence to me. You will die. Far from your friends and family on this rock._

_What?_

But Ship merely spun and fired its cannons.

Ben stared in shock as the bolts turned his X-wing into a pile of scrap metal.

_Farewell 'Jedi' Khai. It's a pity you weren't stronger._

With that Ship turned and blasted into the sky.

"Well," said Ben positively, "At least we have some time alone!"

Vestara wheeled to look at him incredulously, "Are you serious?"

"Not if I can help it."

She grinned. "So, how are we gonna get out of here?"

"Good question. Let's see what's left of my ship."

~O~

_Not much, _Ben thought to himself, _But I'm not going to tell her that. She's had a rough day already._

"You're hiding something from me," Vestara stated.

_Kriff._

"Okay, well, maybe I can set up something with my comm equipment. And my ration pack survived, so that's a plus!"

"What about the Force?"

Ben mentally kicked himself. "Right, yes, the Force. Wouldn't want to forget that."

She rolled her eyes. "Okay, so I'll sort through this junk, and you try to reach your dad."

"Don't call my ship junk!" He said indignantly.

"I'll call it what it is. It was a nice ship...now it's junk"."

Ben glared at her and and sat down on the cold ground.

"Well, then. if it's junk why don't you try to fix it?"

"I don't usually attempt hopeless things."

"Sure you do. You tried to turn me to the dark side didn't you?"

Smiling at her lack of response. He cleared his mind and reached out, looking for the familiar presence that was his father. Five seconds later it hit him. Right in the head. A piece of metal.

"Vestara!"

~O~

Vestara sat sorting through the pieces of the X-Wing and trying to avoid it's owner. It turned out Ben wasn't so happy with her retort. Or rather the piece of the engine she had sent flying at his had. She grinned at the thought.

She pulled it out of a pile of melted metal. She sighed as she realized it was the comm unit.

_So much for that brilliant idea._

She stood and looked at her chrono. It had been two hours since Ship left. She walked over and shook Ben. He opened his eyes.

"Any luck?"

he shrugged. "I couldn't find dad, so I tried to send a message through the force to anyone who might be listening. I don't know if anyone heard though."

"Well, at least you tried. We should get to bed."

"Yeah, might as well get some enjoyment out of this." He wiggled his eyebrows.

She felt her face redden. "I didn't mean it like that!"

He chuckled, "I know. it was payback for the huge bruise on my head."

She glared at him, "It's not that big. Besides, your heads so thick I'm surprised you even felt it." She laughed at the injured look on his face. "Anyway, I found some things we can use for blankets, and I made a sort of lean-to out of metal."

"Oh, you used the metal for something useful? I thought it was just for throwing at me."

She smacked him good-naturedly, and together they headed towards the tent, each wondering what tomorrow would bring.

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! I wasn't expecting this many. And sorry for taking so long to get this up, my computer was having problems.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I'm excited for three reasons: 1. I had Waaay to much caffeine this morning. 2. I wrote about Jaina and Jag. (I love 'em!) 3. Because of all the reviews you so genorously posted! Thanks for your reviews! keep at it!**

Luke was worried. He hadn't heard from Ben in over a week. He hadn't been able to reach him on his comlink, and was debating over contacting the Chief of State's office. But to do that, would indicate to Ben that he didn't trust him enough to let him carry out his mission, and Ben wouldn't be happy about that.

_But then again, Ben wasn't exactly in the right state of mind when he left. What if something happened to him? _

The logical side of Luke's mind figured that Ben would have called him if anything had happened, but the part of him that was a father was worried.

_Surely Ben would be finished with his mission by now. I mean it only takes so long to recover a stolen item. He should be back by now. Maybe I'll just call the office and ask to talk to Ben. If anything happened, they'll tell me, and if not, I'll get to talk to him about...I'll figure that out later._

His mind made up, he strode down the hall toward the comm center.

~O~

Ben sat in the entrance to the lean-to, gazing out at the icy landscape. Thankfully, they were on a warmer part of the planet than the last time he had been there.

_Almost three years ago. _

So much had happened since then. He was so much more experienced.

_Probably since I had a Sith for a master then. Not very helpful for my education._

He was so wrapped up in his thoughts he didn't notice Vestara until she was practically right next to him.

"You really should get some sleep." She said cautiously.

Ben gave her a wry smile. "As if I could."

She looked at him quizzically. "What's wrong?"

"You ever feel like life just went by too quickly? Like one minute you were happy, and then a second later, everything had changed?"

"You're asking **me **that?"

"Heh. Good point. Maybe that's why we're so perfect for each other."

"What brought this train of thought up?"

He shrugged. "Just thinking I guess."

"Well stop it. You sound like you're having a midlife crisis."

Ben chuckled and said in a low voice, "Ben Skywalker: midlife crisis at age sixteen."

Vestara smiled. Ben opened his arms, and she snuggled into them. Together, they watched the skies for signs of a ship.

~O~

Luke Skywalker sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "So you're saying Ben left there over a week ago?"

The Bothan he was talking to via comm scowled. "I've already told you that."

"So he finished the mission?"

"That's classified information."

"I'm just trying to figure out where he went."

"And I'm just trying not to get fired."

"Did he mention to anyone where he was going?"

"I've already told you I can't tell you!"

"Okay, you're not helping me. Can I talk to anyone else?"

The Bothan grew even angrier. "I'll see who's available."

The Bothan's face was replaced by a blank screen, which was more preferable to Luke than what had been on it previously.

~O~

Five minutes later, the screen was still blank, and Luke was beginning to get annoyed. Finally, the screen resolved. A Twi'lek smiled at him. She looked familiar, but Luke couldn't remember her name.

"I'm so sorry about the wait Master Skywalker. How may I help you?"

_Here we go again_, thought Luke.

~O~

Jaina Solo lay on the bed in their apartment, sleeping. To Jag, it seemed like she was doing a lot of that lately. He supposed this was another thing that pregnancy brought. He wanted a kid, but he didn't think the nine months leading up to birth would be this hard.

First had come the morning sickness. He winced as he recalled the state Jaina had been in. At least that was mostly over with. But now she had the strangest cravings. She would send him out in the middle of the night to buy food, and then have him mix it up into the most disgusting concoctions. Things he could never have dreamed of. And today, she had done nothing but sleep. She really was beautiful when she slept, he reflected. Her brown hair lay strewn across her face.

His reverie was interrupted by the ringing of the comm unit. He answered it and was surprised to see Master Skywalker. For him to spend the credits it took to do a face-to-face call all the way to Coruscant, this must be important. The Jedi Master looked surprised to see him too, and it took Jag a moment to realize why.

_Oh yeah, I'm supposed to be at work. _

"Hello Jag, nice to see you. Is Jaina there?"

He nodded and went to go get her.

"Jaina? Jaina, wake up. Jaa-inaa? Hello? Your uncle wants to talk to you."

Despite his best efforts she slept soundly.

"Jaina!" He shook her and she mumbled something.

"What?"

She glared at him wearily. "I said, you have the count of three before your head is disconnected from your body."

Jag quickly glanced to where her lightsaber lay, on a table across the room. Deciding not to take his chances, he quickly told her Luke wanted to talk to her, and ran from the room like a Chitlik from a Nek Battle Dog.

**A/N: Sorry if it's a bit disjointed or whatever. Also, there won't be any updates for a little while because I'm going to a summer camp, and after that I'm working backstage on a really big play.**


	9. Chapter 9

"Bad News Ves."

"Oh? I didn't think there was any of that left."

"Well, I've got good news too!"

"Really? What?"

"We're one step closer to the end of all this!"

"What makes you say that?"

"Well...that brings me to the bad news."

"Which is?"

"We're almost out of food."

"And by the 'end of all this' you mean death."

"Well, yes. I was trying to put a nice spin on it."

"I have a solution!"

"You do?"

"Well, if I got rid of** you**, the food would last a lot longer!"

"Okay, now I'm hurt."

"Or, I could always eat you."

"Bad idea. I'm sure I taste terrible."

"True."

"Oi! I didn't mean you could insult me!"

"Poor baby. Do you need a kiss?"

"I wouldn't mind that at all."

~O~

The Bothan at the desk of the Chief of State's reception looked up and groaned.

"Not another one!"

Jaina Solo leaned over the desk and put on her sweetest smile.

"I was wondering if you might let me talk to the Chief of State?"

"Look Jedi, you're pretty, but that's not going to work, nor are any of your little mind tricks."

"Oh, I know that. You're **much** too smart for that. I wouldn't even dream of trying."

She fluttered her eyelashes.

"And flattery won't work either."

Jaina drew herself up to her full height, which still didn't bring her up to the Bothan's chin, and her voice slowly rose in pitch as she said,

"Look! In case you haven't noticed, I'm Jaina Solo, Jedi Master and Sword of the Jedi! I've helped make this galaxy safer in more ways than you can count! I've killed hundreds, and I know I'm not supposed to kill in cold blood, but if you don't let me in right now, I'm going to do something I'll probably regret, but, in my opinion, it's better to ask forgiveness than beg permission, especially as I was sent by Grand Master Luke Skywalker, who is out of his Midichlorian mind with worry for his son!"

By the end of her tirade, she was practically Bothan trembled but still didn't open the door.

Jaina drew her lightsaber, "Did I mention I'm pregnant, and therefore not exactly as level-headed as normal?"

That did it. The door slid open as fast as the Bothan could repeatedly press the button. She inclined her head.

"Thank you for your help."

~O~

Ten minutes late she exited with a smile on her face. Turning to the desk she said,

"Wynn was very disappointed to hear about your refusal to help the people who saved his life. I'd get ready to hand in your notice. Bye!"

~O~

Now Jaina was faced with a tough decision. Would she tell Luke and let him deal with it, or would she find Ben herself. Why would he go off to Ziost? She wasn't sure if Luke, or any of them, could stand another Sith in the family.

_I'm overreacting. Ben would never become a Sith. But then again, that's what we said about Jacen. And what other reason would Ben have for staying so long on Ziost? If he even made it that far. Maybe he's following a lead on the datapad thief. well, if that was case, why hasn't he contacted his father? The only explanation is that he's starting down the path to the dark side. Unless..._

Jaina straightened as another possibility came to her. She broke out into as much of a run as she could manage. If she was right, she didn't have any time to lose. She had to get to Ziost. and she sure couldn't fit in an X-Wing.


	10. Chapter 10

Jag walked into the apartment he shared with his wife, tiptoeing, so he wouldn't risk her wrath by waking her. He slowly made his way over to the refresher unit, looking for something to eat. He stopped short when he saw the piece of flimsiplast on the door.

He read it, read it again, and read it a third time, just in case he was wrong. He sure hoped he was.

Jag,

there is a rather urgent matter that has come to my attention,

and I'm off to deal with it. I took our new ship, hope you don't mind.

I should be back within a few weeks.

Love, Jaina.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid! _Jag thought to himself, _You leave her alone for an hour, and she has some sort of mid-life-pregnancy-I'm-a-hero crisis!_

_She is a hero of course. And pregnant. And in her mid-life. But there's no need for a crisis! I could have married a respectable, calm, Chiss. But no, I Had to fall in love with the most stubborn woman in the galaxy. No, the daughter of the two most stubborn people in the galaxy. And she took our ship. And our baby. And she didn't even say where she was going. Why?_

~O~

Ben sat up startled awake by...something. He wasn't sure what yet. Beside him, Vestara stirred and then woke.

"What's wrong?" She asked in a sleepy voice.

"I don't know yet. I'll figure it out. You go back to sleep."

"No, you're right, something is different."

They sat together, trying to figure out what was wrong, for a few moments, before Ben smacked himself on his forehead.

"Stupid!" He yelled.

"Who? Me?" Vestara replied indignantly.

"No! Me!"

"Why?"

He turned to face her, a huge grin on his face.

"What? What is it?"

"Listen."

And sure enough, once she focused, she could hear something. A buzzing sound. A very familiar buzzing sound.

"That's a ship!"

"Yes it is."

"Then we're saved!"

"Perhaps. Or maybe it's a ship full of Sith, coming home. Or some evil bounty hunters. Or... My dad."

"Good point. Maybe I'll go hide, leaving you out here to face...whoever it is."

"There's loyalty for you."

Before she could reply, the ship appeared out of the clouds. It was a passenger yacht, usually owned by families, but Ben could see all the weapons that had been added onto the brand-new ship.

"Maybe I'll come hide with you. I don't recognize that ship at all."

"Probably a good idea to make a dignified retreat, then."

"Probably. Run."

~O~

Jaina sat in the pilot's chair of the unnamed ship, scanning for life forms on the planet below. She glanced up, inspecting the area she was flying over visually. Off to her right, there was a patch of something shiny, so she decided to take a closer look, she landed her ship, barely even thinking about what she was doing.

As she approached on foot, she realized the shiny stuff was metal, wreckage of some kind. This caused her to speed up, as much as she could, and she reached the wreckage in a matter of minutes.

~O~

_This planet is a hell-hole, _Jaina thought_, why in the Seven Corellian Hells would Ben want to come here? It doesn't make sense! I hate it when things don't make sense. I usually shoot things that don't make sense. Or, I think about it some more, and then shoot it. That strategy isn't going to help much here, however._

She walked around the wreckage, which she had identified as an Ben's ship.

_This X-wing is obviously destroyed, and anyone in it would have died, but I would have known if Ben had died. Unless he managed to eject. This certainly explains why he hasn't contacted anyone. So, he's not in danger at all, thank the Force. Unless you count starvation. Now all I have to do is find him._

~O~

Vestara looked anxiously at Ben, whose face was wrinkled in concentration.

"Well?" She asked. "Do you know who it is yet?"

He opened his eyes. "It's hard to make out. It's like there's two people, but one is more blurry, like I can't get a grip on it, and the other is shielding their mind."

"So we just sit here and wait for them to find us?" She asked incredulously.

"Do you have a better plan?"

"Sacrifice you, and hope they are appeased?" She queried.

"Thank you for nothing."

"Just a thought."

"Wait." He closed his eyes again.

"What?"

"Now they're searching for something. Probably us."

"With the Force?"

"No, I can sense when they're using the instruments on their ship." He said sarcastically.

"I'm sick of just sitting here waiting for them to find us! Let's just go out there!"

"No, wait, they seem familiar. Does it seem that way to you?"

She closed her eyes and concentrated, after a moment, she opened them again. "Yes."

"I..I think...Got it!" He shot upright and bumped his head. "Ow!" Realization dawned on his face.

"Maybe you'd better stay here, Ves." I doubt she'd be happy to see you."

"Who?"

"Jaina."

~O~

**A/N: Sorry it took so long (again). Super crazy couple of weeks, which seems to be my excuse a lot of the time. Thank you for your patience, and also your reviews!**


	11. Chapter 11

Jaina was still surveying the landscape, when from a couple yards away, a bright orange head of hair popped up, followed by a pair of blue eyes and a huge grin.

"Hi Jaina! Took you long enough!"

"I would've found you more quickly if you hadn't been hiding in the grass."

"Safety precaution."

By now he had reached her, and they hugged each other. As Ben pulled away, his eyes got wider,

"Wow! You're practically bouncy!"

"That was the worst thing to say right now, Ben." She said, with mock anger.

He flushed, "Right, sorry. Why are you here, anyway?"

"If you don't want me here, I can always leave."

"No! I just meant, why you? Why not dad?"

Now it was Jaina's turn to blush. "I thought something might have happened to you."

He laughed. "Me? Really? I'm not a little boy anymore, Jaina."

"No, but you are stuck on the homeworld of the Sith, with no ship, and you haven't communicated with anyone in ages."

"I was...taking a short vacation."

She cast a critical eye over their surroundings. "Prime location spot. Maybe you can come back for your honeymoon."

He looked thoughtful, "Yeah, she might like that."

"Ben! I was joking!"

"Right!" He paused. "So was I."

"Ben, is there something you're not telling me?" She asked jokingly.

"Lots of things." He replied seriously. "But you're my cousin. And you're a girl. I'm not going to tell you everything."

"Again, I was joking." She looked at him suspiciously, "So why aren't you?"

He paled slightly, "I...Of course...I was joking too!"

He cleared his throat, "Back to my earlier question, why you? I mean, you shouldn't be running around in your condition."

She groaned. "Don't say condition. It makes me feel like I'm a mutant or something."

"Fine. You shouldn't be running around like this after you've swallowed a planet."

Jaina was rendered temporarily speechless. She just stared at him, trying to form the words to express her anger..

"You...I...it..." She sputtered

Ben grinned. "Now who can't take a joke?"

~O~

Vestara lay in her hiding place, listening to Ben and Jaina.

_Just tell her already, Ben! The more you dance around the subject the angrier she's going to be when he finds out you lied to her._

He was still talking. She sighed and lay down, resigning herself to a long wait.

~O~

"As wonderful as this planet is, I think it's time we got back, before my husband goes insane with worry."

"Too late for the insane part." Ben mumbled.

"Hmm?" Jaina asked distractedly.

"Never mind!" He replied hurriedly. "Nice ship! Is it yours?"

"Jag bought it for our family."

"And Uncle Han equipped you with the guns." It wasn't a question.

"He likes to think I'm still his little girl."

"You're not little anymore."

"I know! It's like he... wait a minute! Was that an insult?"

"No! I was just agreeing with you!"

"Ben, did you know Jedi can sense when you're lying?"

"I'll go pack my stuff." He rushed off.

~O~

"Ves, wake up!"

She obediently opened her eyes, to find Ben leaning over her.

"Did you finally break it to her?" She asked grumpily.

"Uh, not quite ye-

"Ben! She interrupted, " We're never going to get off this planet!"

"Unless..."

"Unless what?" She asked suspiciously.

"Maybe you could sneak into her ship! There's lots of room!"

"Yes, and then what? You're going to hide me in your rooms for the rest of my life, sneaking me food, and hoping no one finds out about me?"

"No, I would tell Jaina as soon as we got off Ziost, so its too late to leave you here."

"I guess that would work. Maybe."

"Excellent! Pack the stuff!"

"Wait, how am I supposed to sneak aboard?"

"I'll distract her, and then you run like crazy."

"Tell me, are you chief strategist for the Jedi?"

Ben looked confused. "No, why?"

"Oh, good. There's hope for you guys after all."

"Oi!"

"Keep your voice down!" She reprimanded him.

"Sorry." He said in a mock whisper. "Should we talk like this now?"

"Get out of here."

"Yes ma'am." Still in a whisper.

"You're impossible."

"Then why haven't you given up on me?"

"Because I love you. Now get out there and save us."

~O~


	12. Chapter 12

_Almost there,_ Ben thought. _Just a couple more minutes._

"It's great to have a co-pilot again." Remarked Jaina from the pilot's seat.

Ben started. "What?"

Jaina rolled her eyes, "Jeez! Ben, could you be any more oblivious? What's wrong?"

_Nothing, besides the fact that you haven't noticed the presence in your cargo compartment._ He thought.

"Nothing." Was what he said. Surprisingly, she hadn't even noticed Vestara sneaking aboard, while Ben had been pretending he saw something on the horizon.

_Maybe pregnancy dulls your Force senses? _He considered this, until Jaina broke the silence.

"No, seriously. What's wrong?"

"Nothing! Now, what were you saying?"

"I was just saying how nice it was to have a co-pilot."

"You could've brought Jag."

"There wasn't time."

"Oh? Why not? I had enough food to last the extra hour it would've taken you to get him."

"Do you have the coordinates set for the hyperspace jump?" Jaina asked, hastily changing the subject.

Ben glanced at the screen to his right to confirm the coordinates he had already triple-checked.

"Yep, All ready to go."

"All right. Jumping in 10-9-8..."

As Jaina continued her countdown, Ben leaned forward in anticipation. They were almost there. Just a few more seconds.

"3-2-1." The stars blurred into lines as the ship suddenly jumped forward. Ben slammed into his seat, the g-forces pulling him back hard.

"Do you have the inertial compensators dialed down?" He asked suspiciously.

"A little. It's good for the baby."

"What?! How?"

"It gets him used to acceleration."

"Great! Not even born, and you're already training him to be a starfighter pilot."

"You've gotta start them young. Let's hope your girlfriend didn't get banged around too badly."

"Oh yeah! I should probably go ch-" Ben had started to unbuckle his restraints and stand, when he realized what Jaina had just said. He sank back into his chair.

"H-how?" He sputtered.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe 'Jaina! Look over there! What **is** that!?' was a pretty good hint. I did have brothers, you know."

Ben sank even lower into his seat. "So why didn't you do anything?" He asked, bracing himself for the outburst he was sure was coming.

"I did. I locked her in the cargo cabin."

"I mean, why didn't you attack her or something."

Jaina shrugged. "Maybe I'm stupid. Maybe it's hormones. Or maybe, I trust your judgement."

Ben sat up. "Huh?"

"If you think Vestara has changed enough that you would bring her back to the Academy, why shouldn't she? I trust you, Ben. You're a pretty smart kid, and I know you wouldn't do anything to hurt the Jedi."

"You didn't trust my judgement last time."

She considered this. "No, I didn't, but I had my reasons. Back then, you were younger, and in love for the first time. You have to admit, you made some pretty bad decisions."

Ben blushed slightly, "Yeah, you're right."

"Plus, the stakes were a lot higher. We were fighting an ancient entity, who could steal bodies, and was bent on becoming 'Beloved Queen of the Stars'. And you were putting your trust in someone who had already betrayed you. Because of that, my parents nearly died."

"So what made you change your mind?" He asked.

"You've grown up and-"

"If I've grown up," Ben interrupted, "Why do you still call me kid?"

"I was fighting Vong before you were born! Have some respect. And don't interrupt."

"Yes, Granny Jaina." He said, ducking the swat she aimed at him.

"As I was saying, you've grown up. You're not so trusting anymore, and as sad as that is, it's made you smarter."

"Wow, you actually sound philosophical!"

She smiled. "It has been known to happen. Now what do say you go get her out of the cargo compartment?"

"Yes, ma'am!" He said with a grin.

As he was leaving, Jaina stopped him. "Ben?"

"Yeah?"

"Just because I'm okay with her, doesn't mean that anyone else is going to be."

He turned serious again. "I know."

"I'll call your dad."

"Okay."

~O~

Luke rubbed his eyes. He hadn't slept well in days. He was sick of telling himself that Ben was old enough to be out on his own. His mind was at war with itself. On one hand, he knew Ben was able to take care of himself, and was able to travel the galaxy from one end to the other. On the other, Ben wasn't even eighteen yet! By now, he should've commed him, or at least let him know where he was going. Ben was his only child, and he didn't want to lose him like he had lost Mara.

These thoughts fought each other, day or night, while he was meditating, or while he was teaching. Luke knew he had to focus on other things, but every thought somehow turned to Ben. Even watching the students play games, or meditate, he remembered when Ben was that young.

_I'm getting so old, _he thought to himself._ It seems like it's been hundreds of years since I was Ben's age. Back when things were simple. Back when it was good versus evil. The Rebels versus the Empire. Before I knew who my father was. Back when I only had myself to worry about. Before Mara. Before Ben. _

With these thoughts, he managed to fall somewhat asleep, because of sheer exhaustion.

~O~

What seemed like minutes later, he was awoken by the sound of his comlink.

"Luke here."

"Master Skywalker, you have a call," said the person on the other end, who must've been manning the comm center.

"Thank you!" Luke said quickly, already running out of his room.

After a two-minute sprint, he arrived at the door to the call center. Straightening his robes, and catching his breath, he told himself,

_Could be anyone. Lots of people have a reason to talk to me. Don't want to get my hopes up._

Now that he was presentable again, he thrust open the door and strode through.

"Over there, Master Skywalker." Said the apprentice who was on duty.

Nodding his thanks, Luke went over the chair and sat down.

"Hello?" He asked tentatively.

"Hi, Uncle Luke!"

Luke slumped a little, but tried to sound happy.

"Hello, Jaina. How are you doing?"

"Pretty good. And yourself?"

"Okay."

"So, what's up?"

"You know that thing you called me about?"

Luke perked up. "You have any news?"

"Well, using my feminine charms-"

Luke rolled his eyes.

"Lightsaber." He corrected.

"Same thing. Anyway, I was able to get in to talk to Dorvan."

"And?" Luke asked anxiously.

"Ben went to Ziost."

"Why? Never mind," he cut off her reply. "Thanks for your help, Jaina." He was already halfway out of the seat.

"Whoa! Hold up there!"

He sat back down. "What?" He asked impatiently.

"You're really going to just leave everything and go dashing off to the homeworld of the Sith, without even knowing what you're up against?"

Luke considered this for about a second. "Yes." He started to get up again.

"Well, too late, because I already did that."

"That's nice Jain- wait. You what?"

"I went, I saw, I saved his sorry little skin."

Luke heard a door whoosh open in the background, and then his son's indignant voice. "Okay, I'm ba- wait. What did you just say? That is not at all how it happened, Jaina!"

Luke almost collapsed with relief when he heard Ben's voice.

_He's safe. He's coming home. Oh, thank the Force. He's coming home._


	13. Chapter 13

"Wait a sec, Jaina. You changed the coordinates I set!" Ben protested. "Where are we going?"

"I need to make a quick stop."

"Where?"

"Coruscant."

"Coruscant!?" Ben demanded, "That is in no way 'quick'! It's ways away from the Transitory Mists!"

"Yeah, well, you go where the pilot wants you to." Jaina said smugly.

Ben turned to Vestara, who was seated behind him and asked incredulously, "Can you believe her?"

"Well, Ben, we really don't have much of a choice, the way I see it. She is the pilot, after all." Vestara said quietly.

He threw up his hands in exasperation. "Whose side are you on?! Honestly! If I live a million years, I will never understand girls!"

"If you live a million years, you still won't understand anything at all." Jaina retorted.

"I give up! I'm going to go get something to eat." He got up and started heading back to the galley.

"Typical guy," said Jaina, "He knows he can't win, so he storms off to go eat something."

Ben left the cockpit, followed by laughter. He smiled.

_At least they're getting along, even if it's only because they're teasing me._

Just then, he was thrown to the duristeel deck, as the ship reverted back to realspace.

Jaina's voice issued from the comm. "By the way, Ben, we're coming out of hyperspace!" She said in a too-sweet voice. "And get me some food, too. I think I'm having a craving."

Rubbing his knee and grumbling some less than nice things about cousins, and girls in general, he limped his way back towards the ship's rear.

~O~

Jag sat, or rather, slouched, on the gel-form couch in the center of the apartment he shared with Jaina. Had shared, that is, before she had run off to who-knows-where over a week ago. He wasn't unduly worried about Jaina, she knew how to take care of herself. however, he was concerned that she hadn't told him where she was going, or even that she was leaving. Especially in her condition. Just then he was interrupted by the door chime. He pulled himself up, and made his way over to the door. Just before opening it, he paused, hearing voices on the other side.

"Okay, hopefully he'll be sleeping, right?" He heard Ben say.

"At this time of day?" He heard another voice, distinctly familiar, but one that he was unable to place.

"He probably hasn't been able to sleep, pining away for his long-lost bride." Ben retorted.

"Oh, move!" Came Jaina's exasperated voice. "I have a key!"

Before she could open it, Jag slammed the button and opened the door, grabbing Jaina, and pulling her into his arms. His whole speech about endangering their child, and running off alone,. flew out of his head at once. Instead, he just kissed her. After what seemed like only a few seconds, but was probably quite a bit longer, he heard Ben's voice,

"Do they ever come up for air?"

Jag pulled away, and glared at him.

"Have some respect, Ben."

He held his hands up in surrender, then replied impishly, "Respect for the elderly, gotcha."

Remembering the other voice in the corridor, Jag looked around. To his astonishment and horror, he saw Vestara Khai standing behind Ben. He instantly reached for his gun, only to realize he had left it inside the apartment.

"Look out!" He yelled, shoving Jaina inside the the room.

"Whoa, Jag! Calm down!" Ben yelped.

"Yeah Jag, calm down," said a disgruntled Jaina, poking her head out the door. "It's ask questions first, then shoot. But you don't even have a gun, so just ask questions."

"Wha-sh-h-how-t-the?" His mouth couldn't seem to communicate what his brain was screaming.

"Again, calm down, and we'll explain." She appraised him with a critical eye, "First of all, let's get you sitting down."

~O~

Jag rubbed forehead, trying to soak it all in. "So," He said to Ben, "what you're saying is you went off by yourself, without contacting anyone, to a world which you knew was associated with the Sith, to meet with your old girlfriend, who betrayed you, and tried to kill your family last time you saw each other, and you never thought anyone would be concerned?!"

"Well, I didn't think anything would go wrong." Ben replied.

"Oh no." Jag said sarcastically, "Nothing could _possibly_ go wrong on a mission like that."

He was pacing around the bedroom, while Ben sat in a chair in the middle of the pathway he was gradually wearing in the carpet.

Ben was getting defensive. "How was I supposed to know Ship would blow up my X-Wing!?"

Jag glared at him. "That's why you should've told someone, so maybe Jaina wouldn't have had to go running of after you, endangering herself, and our child!"

Ben's face was turning red, Jag wasn't sure if it was from anger or, more likely, shame.

Jag sighed. "I expected better from you, Ben. You're a responsible young man, so why would you go and do something like this?"

The silence stretched on, until Jag was about ready to smack him, in case that would get him to say something.

Finally, Ben slumped down into the chair and mumbled. "You're right. I was being stupid."

"Good, now that we're in agreement, you can convince me why I shouldn't go out there and shoot her."

Ben looked up, "Because you wouldn't be able to. She does have the Force on her side, after all."

Jag was just about fed up with him, but he was willing to give it one more try. "But how do you know she's changed? She's said so before, only to turn around and try to kill you."

"It's different this time."

"Is that what you know, or what you want to think? Because she's out there, right now, cooking dinner, and I am not willing to trust my family's lives on your hormones."

"But you trust her enough to leave her alone so you can interrogate me." Ben pointed out.

Jag growled. "I am _trying_ to give her another chance, but I am not going to take you seriously if you cannot be serious."

Ben stood up and looked him in the eye. "I _was_ being serious."

Jag snorted. "You're never serious, that's what your problem is."

"So now you have a problem with me, too?"

"No. I have a problem with your irresponsibility."

Ben rolled his eyes. "Like you've never done anything stupid? Wait, of course you haven't because you're always so stuck up!"

Jag laughed shortly, and watched Ben take a step backwards in surprise. "You know you've lost the argument when you have to resort to insults."

"There you go again! Always so analytical." Ben peered at him curiously. "How does Jaina put up with it?"

"And now you're insulting Jaina."

"That was_ not_ an insult."

"You're insulting her judgement."

"_I'm_ the one insulting her judgement?!" Ben asked incredulously. "What about you?"

"I trust Jaina with my life." Jag said, puzzled. "Where do you get off saying otherwise?"

Ben stared at him in utter confusion, as if waiting for Jag to get some obscure inside joke. Then, to add insult to injury, he doubled over laughing.

"What?!"

Once Ben had gotten himself under control, he looked at Jag and asked, "Where is Jaina, right now?"

"She's in the kitchen, cooking dinner." Jag was still confused. "So?"

"And who's she with?"

Jag could have kicked himself. How had he fallen for Ben's trap so easily?

Ben smirked. "I'll tell you who she's with. Vestara. And, if you'll listen, they're talking up a storm in there. Do you regularly sit around talking with people you don't trust? So, "Logically" Jaina must trust Ves. And if you trust Jaina with your life, and you trust her judgement, you must also trust Vestara." Ben's grin was one of victory, and sure enough, Jag had no argument to counter his.

After waiting a few seconds, as though Jag would actually admit defeat, Ben said, "I'm sorry for insulting you, though. And for going off without telling anyone. Jaina really saved us, because we wouldn't have lasted much longer without food."

Jag smiled, "Of course she did. That's what she always does."

"That's what _who_ always does?" Jaina asked as the door slid open.

Jag and Ben both jumped and said, "Nothing!" at the same time, then they grinned at each other.

"Right." Jaina said suspiciously. "It's time for dinner. Have you to sorted it out yet?"

Jag turned to Ben and held out his hand. "I don't know. Have we?" He asked cautiously.

"Sure have, Cuz." Ben said, spitting on his hand and slapping it onto Jag's.

Jaina laughed at the look of pure disgust on her husband's face. "Good. Now let's eat."


	14. Epilogue

"Reverting in 5-4-3-2-1." Jaina's voice sounded over the comm in cabin where Ben and Vestara sat facing each other. The ship lurched slightly as the stars around it came into focus.

"She really needs to get that fixed," Ben said, trying to lighten the mood slightly. Vestara barely even smiled.

At first the trip to the mists had been tense, with Jag still not quite trusting her. Gradually, he had been assured that she was not about to go into a crazy rampage and kill them all. After that, Ben had figured everything would be fine, but the closer they got, the more agitated he felt, and the more worried Vestara was. Not that he could blame her. She was after all, a former Sith, and every single Jedi on the planet below probably saw her as a traitor.

He moved closer and took her hand into his own. "It's going to be all right, Ves. They might be a little... doubtful at first, but I'm sure they'll trust you eventually."

She looked up, and he saw she had tears in her eyes. "But what if they don't, Ben? I certainly wouldn't blame them."

"Hey, don't be like that," he chided. "If Jag is willing to give you another chance, convincing my dad will be easy. And once he trusts you, everyone else will, too. I'm sure of it," He said confidently.

"But what if you're wrong?"

He stroked her cheek. "I'm never wrong."

She smiled, slightly wider than before, but it still didn't reach her eyes. "And of course, you're always _so_ humble."

"See? Now you're being sarcastic! That's the girl I fell in love with." He leaned all the way across the table and kissed her. "I'm not saying it's going to be easy. It's not even going to be close. But we'll get through this together. I promise."

She smiled and squeezed his hand, just as Jaina's voice sounded over the comm again. "Buckle up you two. We're starting our descent."

"Will do." Ben paused. "And Jaina?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks. For everything."

He could hear Jaina's smile in her reply. "Ben," She admonished, "It sounds like you're preparing for your march to the gallows. It won't be that bad."

"Says you."

She chuckled and then shut down the comm.

Ben looked out the view port at the rapidly approaching planet. "I've got an awful lot of explaining to do," He said, only half joking.

Vestara buckled herself in beside him and grabbed his hand nervously. "Together?" She asked.

"Together. Always."

**A/N: Thank you all for following my story so faithfully! When I started typing this, late at night, I had no idea it would end up being fourteen chapters long. Thank you for all your reviews! I was thinking maybe I would do another story, set about 6 months later. Thoughts?**

**Thanks again, and may the Force be with you!**

**Vestara Jade**


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